TWO colleges in Hounslow have been banned from accepting new students pending an investigation by immigration chiefs.

Rayat London College, in New Heston Road, Heston, and Lampton College, in Lampton Road, Hounslow, are both under investigation by the UK Border Agency.

A spokesman for the organisation said: "We have carried out visits to Rayat and Lampton Colleges and they are currently unable to bring in new students while our investigations are ongoing.

"Colleges licensed to bring in international students must ensure the students are attending the course for which they are enrolled and that they are complying with the requirements of the immigration rules.

"The UKBA makes regular checks on sponsors, and where we find evidence they are not fulfilling their duties we will suspend or remove their licence."

Rayat featured in a BBC Wales documentary last month, which appeared to show students there being offered the chance to enrol on courses using fraudulent diplomas to gain visas.

The show led to the resignation of college registrar Irvin Harris, who denies any wrongdoing, and the suspension of three other employees pending an internal investigation.

However, the college has insisted the staff featured were all contractors, who were subsequently dismissed, and none of its students had ever studied with a fake certificate.

The Home Office this week said more than 470 UK colleges had been banned from accepting new foreign students from outside Europe.

It claimed the move had prevented the colleges bringing in 11,000 students.